Alexander av



(No Model.)

A. W. GEER.

FIRE ALARM.

No. 362,949. Patented May 17, 1-887.

INVENTOR WWI/WW WITNESSES ATTORNEY r, Waxhingion, 0. 04

N. PETERS, PhnhrLilhflgrAphe UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

ALEXANDER \V. GEER, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,949, dated May 17, 1887.

Serial No. 222,407. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER W. GEER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Fire- Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises certain novel means for automatically indicating the existenee of fire in a dwelling or other building or structure, and on ship-board and the like, and it comprises certain novel means whereby visual signals may be displayed externally to the locality at which the fire occurs, and audible signals be sounded throughout such house, building, or structure.

Figure l is a partial sectional view illustrating my said invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view, on a larger scale, further illustrating my said invention; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view takcn on the line :20 0c of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a modified arrangement included in my 'said invention.

A is a main fuse, which, like the branch fuses hereinafter described, may be ofany suitable kind or composition, but which should be capable of ignition and combustion at a low temperature-such, for example, as would fail to ignite dry wood and it should also be of such character that fire applied at any part thereof will rapidly flash through out its length. As fuses possessing these properties are well known, and may be readily obtained from the manufacturers and dealers in such articles, specific description o'fthei r composition is here unnecessary.

The main fuse A is intended to extend from cellar to roof of the building or structure to be protected. At its upper end it passesinto a pyrotechnic-signal apparatus placed upon and outside of said structure, and which may consist of a mortar, B, as shown in Fig. 1, from which a rocket, O, willbe ejected when ignited from the fuse, or of a glazed chamber, D, containing material E for colored pyrotechnic light, as shown in Fig. 2. In the latter the air to support combustion should be derived from inside the building, and may be supplied through passages a, in order that gusts of wind may not interfere with the combustion of the pyrotechnic material when the latter is ignited by the fuse. The pyrotechnic device,

whatever its character, is to be secured firmly in position upon the roof or other portion of the outside of the building. This may be done by bolting it to a socket-piece, F, which in its turn is bolted to the outside of the building, and which has a throat or passage, 1), through which the fuse passes into such close connection with the rocket in the mortar, or with the pyrotechnic material in the chamber, as to ignite the same from the burning of the fuse itself.

At each floor of the building, or at any desired part of the building, is provided a sys tem of branch fuses, G, which are extended to those places at which fire is most likely to occur. The outer ends of these branch fuses are capped with incombustible thimbles, c,to pre vent the projection of fire from the said ends when the fuse is burned. The inner ends of each system of branch fuses are converged and extended into a shell, H, through which extends the main fuse A. This shell is made of metal and is provided at its larger end with orifices, through which pass the ends of the branch fuses, as aforesaid. These ends are brought in close relation with the main fuse within the shell, and a combustible materialsuch as cotton soaked in kerosene or other readily-ignited substance-is packed around the place of junction of the said ends of the branch fuses and the main fuse A, in order that the combustion of any of the branch fuses of the series may without fail ignite the main fuse.

Above each floor provided as aforesaid, or in any other suitable location, is placed a cylinder, J, through which is passed the main fuse A. Upon each of the said cylinders, when the same are constructed as shown in the drawings, is provided a hinged door, (1, upon which isprovided a miniature cannon, gun, or pistol barrel, K, the vent of which has con nected therewith a tubular needle, 0, in such a manner that when the parts are in position thejoint of the tubular needle 0 will enter the fuse within the cylinder and establish com1nunication therewith, so that the miniature cannon or fire-arm K, being duly charged with powder, the combustion of the fuse will transmit fire or ignition to the charge in said cannon or fire-arm K and its tubular needle (2, thereby sounding the audible signal.

The several branch fuses G may be passed burning colored lights, should be protectedfrom the rain bya glasscap, f, fitted upon the top thereof in such manner as to be readily fractured by the action of the rocketor burning signal material, as the case may-be.

Should fire occur along the length of any of the fuses, the said fuse will flash from the point of ignition to the main fuse A, and, igniting the same, will cause said main fuse to ignite the said fuse, all substantially as the charge in the miniature cannon or fire-arm K, with which it is connected, and almost simultaneous with this will ignite the rocket or fire-work or highly combustible material, as the case may be, of the visual-signal apparatus, according as the same may be as that shown in Fig. lor Fig. 2, and as a consequence will give an immediate signal outside of the pas-i sage or structure to attract the attention of persons outside thereof, while immediately preceding this the main fuse ignites the charges in the other interior signalsviz., the miniature cannons or fire arms so that by-means of my said invention alarms may be sounded throughout the interior, or any desired portion thereof, of-the building or vessel, and almost simultaneous with this an outside or public alarm is given to attract the attention of persons external to the structure.

-When desired, both the mortar to project a rocket or the like and the glazed chamber for providing a stationary pyrotecnic signal may be employed upon the exterior of the building, the fuse of the one being connected with that of the other by a'branch fuse, A, as shown in Fig. 4.

What I-claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with a main fuse, A, and an external pyrotechnic visual-signal apparatus, of a miniature cannon or fire arm, K, the vent of which is constructed or provided with a tubular needle arranged to pierce and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, with a mainfuse and an external pyrotechnic visual-signal apparatus, of a shell, H, arranged to surround the main fuse and the contiguous ends of the branch fuses leading thereto, a miniature cannon or fire-arm, K, the vent of which is constructed with a tubular needle, 6, arranged'to pierce the said fuse, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. In a fire-alarm apparatus, the combination of a main fuse, A, a pyrotechnic visualsignal apparatus, arranged externally to said structure and connected with the said fuse, a system or systems of branch fuses, and a miniature cannon or firearm, K, arranged Within the said structure and secured to the main fuse, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

4.- The combination of a main fuse, A, a miniature cannon or fire-arm, K, a shell, H, arranged to surround. the main fuse and the contiguous ends of the branch fuses leading thereto, combustible material placed at or around the junction of the branch fuses, with the main fuse and a visual pyrotechnieal signal'apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

5. The combination of a main fuse, A, a system or systems of branch fuses, shells H, arranged to surround the main fuse and the contiguous'ends'of the branch fuses leading thereto, a miniature cannon or fire-arm, K, secured to the main fuse, and a mortar for ejecting the pyrotechnical signal, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

6. The combination of a main fuse, A,'shell or shells H, arranged to surround the main fuse and the contiguous ends of the branch fuses leading thereto, miniature cannon or-firearms K, secured to the main fuse, a pyrotechnieal visual-signal apparatus, and a frangible glass cap, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

, ALEXANDER W. GEER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES BABE,

NIOOLAY JOHANNSEN. 

